Red Route
by SleepyShuffle
Summary: A new hero is born in the pages of history, her presence entwines that of others, bringing people closer, sending others further apart and most importantly tearing through Japan in all its glory of the Warring States! Sengoku Basara  Eventual MotoMoto.
1. Prologue

Hello and welcome to my newest fic! Not much to say today actually :S I'll let my fic do the talking. Oh quick shout out to my friends;

Amber (Cocohime) & Lorelle (Prokitty) THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS FOR ENCOURAGING ME WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS. I love ya ta bits ^0^~~  
>ALSO I WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL SIMONON. You fucking beautiful man, have a good day. :3 Ok I think we're done...<p>

Roll the titles! ;D

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><p><em>~ Prologue ~<em>

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><p>Motonari smiled as he placed the calligraphy brush to one side and admired his handiwork on the parchment in front of him, while a loyal officer looked over his shoulder.<p>

"…Sir it is very well written" he said, his eyes still moving across the script absorbing more of the information.

Motonari frowned and sighed deeply, "And what do you think of it's contents?" he snapped, irritated with the poor man who jumped at the reply and quickly corrected himself.

"One of the best proposals I have seen with my own two eyes" he hurriedly spoke, while Motonari rolled up the parchment and handed it to him.

"If you wish to keep both your eyes I suggest to deliver this quickly and carefully to Lord Yoshistugu. It is of utmost importance and I would hate to have to punish you for it, peon"

Motonari spoke cruelly but kept his emotionless state complete on his face, even as he spoke, now walking over to the balcony and gazing out to the rising sun across the ocean.

The man's eyes were now wide and sweat was breaking out on his forehead,

"Right my Lord! I shall order an escort, to protect your message!" the man spoke bowing.

Motonari felt a vein popping in his forehead and he whirled round with his teeth clenched, "How many men does it take to send a message?" he growled, his piercing gaze locking with the terrified officers eyes.

"O-one Sir"

He stuttered as Motonari approached.

"That is correct. So why would you wish to draw more attention to yourself when you are carrying such an important item? It's almost as if you want yourself to get caught" he snapped,

"You will take this message. And will you go alone, to Yoshistugu and you will deliver it to him, from me. And if you're lucky and if you get back on time, I might just let you live. Am I clear?"

He breathed out, impossibly blank yet his face was full of rage…concealed within his eyes.

"Y-yes, my Lord!" the man said, bowing impossibly low that Motonari could've stepped on his head if he so wished.

"Then get out" he snapped, his eyes rolling away from the man who angered him as once again he turned and walked over to the balcony to admire the sunrise.

"I will not fail you Lord Motonari"

After the words were spoken, hurried footsteps could be heard along the floor, then the opening and closing of a sliding door followed. And then silence.

The brown haired man sighed then slowly drew in a deep breath in relaxation. His eyes were on a distant island in the water, which seemed to be like a dark blotch on the horizon.

Motonari could feel himself wanting to grin, yet only the smallest of smirks made it onto his face, almost unrecognisable unless you studied the mans emotions night and day. He put his hands behind his back and shut his eyes, allowing himself to soak up the early morning rays.

"I…have a plan…" he spoke,

"…it shall lead to eternal honour for the Mouri clan" he said softly…he didn't often speak with the sun. But he liked to, because it was only in these conversations he didn't become riled up and angry. The sun didn't like to argue with him or make pointless and downright illogical statements, it just liked to listen and reflect on what he had said, like a good officer should.

His brown eyes slowly peeled open and the pupils shrunk as they took in the light from the sun, shining in happiness at Motonari's new plan.

"…a storm is brewing in the shadows of the sun…" he said, once again talking to the giant star,

"…nothing shall stop me"

"Well if you think about it, that's completely illogical"

Motonari's eyes widened as he unsheathed a small dagger from his belt and whirled round at the sound of a girls voice, weapon poised defensively.

"Who's there?" he barked looking behind him, up at the roof and into the sparsely decorated room. He inched forward slowly, eyes darting this way and that, looking for the girl.

"Yoo hoo~~" the voice sang and Motonari flipped round again to see a young girl sat on the balcony banister. She waved, with a smile on her face.

"You see, the sun can't have a shadow since it's spherical in shape and is constantly producing it's own light in the form of heat energy. So to say that a star has a shadow is a very stupid comment" she explained much to Motonari's annoyance.

The girl on the banister had redd-ish brown hair in buns atop her head, with a metal hair ornament standing up behind her bangs. She wore a very revealing leotard type garment, the cloth wound round her neck and down in two strips over her chest, leaving a gap in the middle, revealing yet more flesh. She also wore a faded purple leather jacket, with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows, the pattern almost invisible but still there to remind people of what it used to be. She wore fingerless gloves, a faded green in colour with two studded spiked bracelets round each wrist. Worn thigh high socks in a faded creamy colour went down on her legs and into two loose knee high brown leather boots tied with black ribbons instead of laces.

Her red lipstick shone irritatingly in the sunlight, as did her little smirk as Motonari glared at her.

"State your business" he snapped, carefully eyeing the sheaths for two large wave swords at the girls sides and taking up a defensive stance, judging how far he was to reaching his room and his ring blade.

"How rude! I bet you don't even know my name!" she said, mock pouting and jumping down from the railing.

"Should I?" Motonari countered, backing up a little, to which the girl paused to think.

"I suppose not…at least…" an eerie grin spread across her face, "at least not yet" she purred excitedly at the thought of something.

Motonari frowned, puzzled over this girls reaction and now her identity.

"Tell me why you're here before I cut you to pieces" he spoke, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

The girl glared back a little and put a hand to her chin, thinking "Hmmm…it's difficult to recall with a blade pointed at my throat…" she said folding her arms defiantly.

Motonari glanced between her and the blade before carefully re-sheathing it onto his belt, deciding if she tried anything, he would be ready for it.

"You are a ninja" Motonari stated although it sounded more of a question.

The girl tilted her head, "Not exactly…although I could be yours for the right price!" she said winking and rubbing her fingers together as an indication for her obsession with money.

Motonari was becoming irritated again, he didn't like people who avoided his questions and refused to talk relevant information.

"Why did you come?" he asked, his rising anger present in his voice now.

"So I guess that's a no?" she said disappointed, "Ah well, in that case there is nothing left for me to do than give you this"

She reached into a pocket in the front of the jacket and pulled out a scroll of parchment, tied with a black ribbon, holding it out in the flat of her hand to Motonari. Who after hesitating for a split second carefully took it from her hand.

"I'm not sure who gave it to me exactly, but they told me it was urgent and I had to get this to Motonari Mouri right away!" she explained herself for once. Motonari frowned and looked into the girls eyes for any suspicions that she were not telling the truth, however her eyes were unmoving.

"Hmph!" Motonari said pulling the ribbon of with one swift movement and unrolling the parchment, his eyes carefully scanning over the completely blank page.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he said blankly letting the parchment drop and roll across the floor in the mild wind.

The girl looked puzzled, "Huh? The little guy looked like he was going to cry when he handed me this letter, didn't seem like the joking type…" she said slowly and as the paper rolled towards her she bent down to check for herself. Opening the parchment and tilting it every way as if words would magically appear if she held it upside down.

"…this is ridiculous" she said staring into nowhere before a frown graced her features and she clenched her teeth.

"I scaled two castle walls and the keep to deliver this!" she snapped, shaking the paper angrily, "And they think it's okay not to eve—"

Upon lowering the paper she noticed Motonari was walking away, she started to run after him. "Hey wai—"

"I have better things to do!" Motonari snapped whirling round, the girl stopping right before she crashed into him.

"Looks like…" she said sarcastically, Motonari resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Stop wasting my time and be gone" he said flicking his arm to one side as a gesture.

The girl pouted "That letter wasn't my fault he—"

"Then he has wasted both of our time!" Motonari stated bluntly turning and walking for the exit once more,

"Now get lost I have no need for you or your services, I suggest someone as useless as yourself should board ships with the pirates and never return" he mumbled making it out of the screen door leaving the girl stood there open mouthed and confused at Motonari's rudeness.

Frowning and clenching her fists she walked back over to the balcony Motonari had previously being stood next to and leaned against it, after a brief pause her eyes flicked up and caught sight of the sun. She sighed and looked out across the ocean,

"What a vile young man" she muttered putting her head in her heads and observing the horizon,

"I don't know how you can stand him" she said talking to the sun who still didn't reply, the girl grinned to herself and glanced at the silent sun, "You're both as bad as each other…so very rude not to reply you know!" she sighed contentedly and stretched her arms, her eyes spotting a blob on the horizon.

"Still…I wonder if what he said about the pirates were true…" a smile twitched on her face, "I've always wanted to meet a pirate…"

And as if finally reacting to the girls words the sun shot rays right through the clouds as they split, shining light onto the blob on the horizon. Squinting she leaned forward on the railing almost losing her balance, before her eyes went wide with recognition.

"PIRATES!" she shouted delighted jumping back of the rail and clapping her hands, with a new simple plan in mind she turned round to run out of the room. Only when she was reaching for the screen door did she stop in her tracks at the sound of voices on the other side. The sound of Motonari's officers.

Rye stomped her feet "Should've known that prissy sun-boy wouldn't have let me out easily", with that four foot soldiers burst into the room.

"STOP RIGHT THERE" the men yelled stopping once they were in the centre of the room and looking round confused.

"…she's not"

"Here" another man finished for his friend as they looked to one another before silently agreeing to search the room.

Meanwhile on the lower floors the girl was tearing down the staircase and jumped out through a relatively low window, causing guards to jump and with slight hesitation jump into a fighting stance.

"ENEMY SCOUT" they yelled as she passed, getting up from their posts and dashing after her.

The girl grinned and looked behind her at the guards, "Catch me if you ca~an!" she sang, giggling with laughter, before turning her head round and knotting her eyebrows together in determination heading to her new destination of the port.

Motonari observed the mass of green chasing after the single girl scout through the gardens with annoyance, "Useless…" he muttered, carefully observing the girl. Thinking about her whereabouts and her purpose.

After a few moments of careful thinking he decided he didn't care, she wasn't a threat to him as far as he was concerned right now. All she had done was bring him a pointless blank sheet of paper and a wave of confusion that he really hadn't needed. His brown hazel eyes flicked up to look at the port where she was heading, he convinced himself he didn't care that she was leaving and that a spy as annoying as herself would have aggravated him more than prove her use to him…yet a small part of him was screaming; "You idiot, you had chance to recruit the only scout capable of gaining entrance to your own keep and private quarters and you turned it down!". Motonari pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind along with his memories of the girl, deciding it was too late to worry about things now and just go on pretending it never happened.

Before he turned away to prepare for battle his eyes caught on something on the horizon, he ground his teeth in anger.

"Useless" he snapped turning and marching off, "The whole lot of them!"

The screen door slammed shut and Motonari lost sight and track of the girl as he did not wish to watch that painfully familiar ship slowly dragging itself across the horizon.

The sun watched on overhead, smiling with glee…sensing a new story about to unfold.

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><p>That's how it goes! Hope you like my OC and where this is heading ;D<br>For those who I promised MotoMoto, don't worry there's plenty of time for all that jazz :3


	2. Chapter 1

_~ Chapter I ~_

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><p>A few weeks had passed since Rye had arrived on the Shikoku, in that time she'd soon found a job working as a mechanic in the army reserves. One of the lowest ranking jobs there was but Rye sadly saw herself in no right to demand any higher status. She was merely thankful that the other pirates and mechanics didn't question her on her past or where she had come from and instead behaved as if they were her brothers. Since she had no place to sleep they took it upon themselves to find lodgings for her in their own homes. Rye had never witnessed such kindness from any other town or village, city or clan across the land, always been treated as an outsider and judged on her appearance. But here, in the middle of the sea, the pirates judged no-one and questioned nothing…for fear of being judged and questioned themselves…the idea that secrets were meant to be kept that way…<p>

Out of mutual respect you didn't ask anyone, any serious questions because they may fire them right back at you. Rye felt at home with the pirates who didn't pry, it was nice just to forget about life's burdens and concentrate on the here and now.

Here and now she had been commissioned by the head mechanic to start work on a weapon prototype which was lodged deep underground in a hidden fortress. The first time Rye went there she couldn't believe her eyes, the fortress was massive. A creaking wooden giant Nakatomigawa Sea Fort was built away from the city, facing the mainland of Japan, one sunlight city in particular stood proudly opposite it.

Inside the fortress was a sprawling maze of blockades, defences and trap doors. Decorated heavily with simple pirate haulings and treasure, it was quite clearly one thing that the islanders took pride in.

Rye walked towards the fortress, a satchel slung over her shoulder as she made her way to work in the fortress. She looked up at the dead shark hung crudely above the entrance, even though she knew it wouldn't move, her eyes still watched it as if it was waiting to pounce. Dashing inside the fort and under the shark Rye dropped the satchel and looked behind her, half expecting the shark to be on the floor where it had dived for her and missed. But of course only the hot sun blazed through the door and smell of the sea blew in after it.

Rye looked round, trying to remember the correct route to the centre of the fort. She bit her lip, looking left to a corridor and then down to a trapdoor beneath her feet, before sighing and opening the bag she brought with her to get the map. She knew it would take her longer than three days to remember the right route. Looking at the paper in her hands she continued the long winding route down to the Rising Sun, cursing herself for not remembering the shortcut.

"Hey look who finally showed up!" one of the men said, putting down his tools and turning to see Rye walking in through the main entrance. Several others turned round too,

"What happened? Did you get lost again lil' sis?" he joked chuckling and wiping sweat from his forehead, while the rest of the men either chuckled or rolled their eyes under the dimly lit lantern hall.

Rye pouted folding up the map and crossing over towards them, "Hey shut up! It's not my fault I couldn't remember the directions you gave me, considering you all ran off last time!" she spat angrily although her mouth curled upwards into a smile at the mention of her nickname.

"Yeah yeah, whatever slacker…" one of the younger mechanics said nudging his friend next to him. Rye finally reached them and gave the man a sharp kick in the leg,

"I'm here now, drop it!" she growled kneeling down and bringing tools out from her bag, the man kicked her back. Rye glared at him from the corner of her eye before he went back to working, pretending that he didn't kick her.

Rye slowly reached for a small hammer and quickly threw across, hitting the side of the mans head, causing him to curse and glare back across. Rye looked to him with innocent eyes but he smirked and snatching a file and throwing it at Rye, who managed to duck in time, but not without it clipping her collar bone, giving it a red scratch.

Suddenly they both dived at each other fists flying and kicks and scratches hitting the other. Many of the men started laughing or chanting as the two fought it out on the floor, while the elder mechanics and builders up on the scaffolding merely rolled their eyes and went back to work. Just another average day at work with the hyperactive teens.

"Say I win!" Rye demanded sat on the others back with his arms pinned behind him,

"You win!" he shouted quickly as Rye tugged on his arms again,

"Am I a slacker?" she asked, grinning even with a now bruised eye.

"I hope not" a loud voice echoed across the room and Rye turned around confused at the sound of the new voice. Many others turned to look too, upon recognising who it was a chorus of voices followed,

"Captai- Aniki! Glad to see you- Sir, good morning!"

The man strolled forwards, a warm smile on his face that Rye couldn't imagine ever to fade. Dressed in typical pirate garb, covering most of his body with pink and purple garments, among with metal shin guards and a belt slung across his bare scarred chest. His wild platinum hair stuck up at odd angles, as if it had been shaped by the wind and the sea alone. A large purple eye patch was worn over his left eyes, which seemed to complete the entire look.

Rye raised her eyebrows she had to hand it to them, pirates really had that sense of style you wouldn't find nowhere else. And as the man drew closer she began to realise how damn attractive he actually was. She could feel her cheeks turning slightly hot as she looked at his perfect face and body, as he looked towards her. Those abs…

"Just a friendly fight is all sir!" a voice came from under her and she realised the purple pirate had been looked at him instead. Irritated she stood up off him as Motochika chuckled,

"Beaten by a girl Roka?" the man said mockingly, causing Roka's cheeks to burn red and half the men present to laugh at the embarrassed boy.

"I would've won if she hadn't cheated!" Roka muttered, glaring across at Rye and for the first time the other man looked over to her. And that's when Rye realised who he was. Motochika Chosokabe! It had to be!

Her mouth dropped open at the sudden realisation that this was her most superior commander and she suddenly cursed that he was way out of her league. The man observed her for a moment longer, his eyes trailing downwards with a puzzled expression on his face before one of the elder workers tapped him on the shoulder and he turned his attention away from Rye.

Rye quickly turned back to Roka, "I-is that him?" she asked hurriedly, to which Roka glared at her, clearly still embarrassed. Roka looked round Rye's head to Motochika,

"It's the captain" He said simply, "Can't believe you embarrassed me in front of him…" he muttered, angrily picking up his tools and going back to work on the flame-throwing device for the Rising Sun.

"He's just perfect…" Rye flushed red and shook her head before softly bumping him on the arm with her fist, "I'll make it up to you somehow, I'm sorry" she said, to which Roka sighed and turned to her with a forced smile

"It's fine…I'm sorry, I should probably be stronger anyway" Roka sighed and looked at the tools in his hand, "I don't even know how to fight"

Rye brightened up, "I could teach you!" she offered, Roka slowly turned his head and looked at her puzzled as if to say, '_You _know how to fight?'.

"I've operated a fair amount of weapons and different arts, I'm going to teach you" she said determined with her new project. Meanwhile Roka just looked back in shock,

"All right, no need to get cocky" he said grinning, "But, really?" he said happily,

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to, believe me" Rye said sticking out her tongue, while Roka grinned back,

"Thanks Rye…"

"It's cool!" she said smiling with her black eye.

"Suzu is in charge!" Motochika's voice loudly rang out in the hall, instantly grabbing everyone's attention,

"No pressure men- " Rye narrowed her eyes at the generalisation,

"But I need this finished by the end of the week!" Motochika said, as a tumbleweed could've been heard rolling past by this stage someone piped up in protest.

"Sir, no disrespect but it's already Thursday!" while several others nodded,

Motochika shrugged, "I would offer to help you, but I'm going to mainland ports to…" Motochika looked away absently, "…meet an old friend"

Rye looked up at the half-complete Rising Sun, wondering how the hell they were going to finish this in less than four days.

"But when I get back, there were be a reward in it for you all" he yelled resulting in the crew raising their fists and cheering. Rye looked round puzzled at the amount of respect the Captain seemed to have earned…maybe he had just managed to turn all these men to the other side. She took another look at him, it was definitely possible, if she were a guy she would've fallen for him in a heartbeat…but, let's be honest. Who wouldn't?

Getting lost in her own fantasies, she jumped slightly when she looked up to see Motochika stood in front of her. She felt herself flush red and jump to her feet, to meet with the Captains confused stare. Roka noticed this and smirked at Rye's reaction before he and the men went back to work, slipping back into idle chatter.

"I've heard a lot about you…" he said folding his arms and looking down at Rye who was slightly shorter than the other man.

Rye laughed nervously, not wanting to screw up her first impression with the ever-popular pirate, "Nothing bad I hope…"

Motochika narrowed his eyes dangerously at Rye, "Got something to hide have you?" he said almost menacingly,

Rye's eyes widened, "Ahhhh, no Sir no! Nothing at all, I'm all good, me! One hundred percent good human being, never did a damn thing wrong in my entire life, honour the human spirit we must all work together to—" Rye was cut off as Motochika burst into laughter while Rye looked at him confused,

"I was just messing, kid!" he said slapping a hand to her shoulder, Rye twitched a little at the use of 'kid'.

"Actually I'm eighteen now, almost nearly nineteen" she said folding her arms and flicking her head to look away, defending her age.

Motochika smirked, "Wow, you must know so much about the world….eighteen year old ninja" he retorted, again striking a chord in Rye who seemingly had forgotten about her earlier promise of making a good first impression.

Her hands dropped to her sides in fists and she stomped her feet, "For the billionth time, I'm not a ninja!" she glared at Motochika,

Motochika let out a single laugh, "Relax, I'm only joking. I'm just referring to how you managed to gain entrance to Mouri's keep, unless the tales I heard weren't true…"

Rye's eyes widened at how fast this news had travelled, "Oh…" she said, before grinning, "No Sir! That story is true! It was easy, I'd gladly do it again should a job as such arrive!" she said happily.

Motochika surveyed the girl, eyes looking her up and down, sizing her up. So she was the same girl who had sneaked into Mouri's keep across the sea…which was strange given her completely effeminate appearance and immature nature. He had heard of ninja's having strange personalities but he was pretty sure that immaturity and a short fuse weren't one of them.

"Eh…we don't really utilise ninja's in the Chosokabe clan…it's not really my style" he said, shrugging,

"Oh…" Rye said quietly looking down at the floor beneath her feet, wondering if she was going to have to spend the rest of her time here working in this old wooden fortress. If that was going to be the case, she might as well leave now.

Motochika saw the hurt in the girls eyes, "But! I um, suppose we could make use of a messenger with such skills as yourself!" he said sympathetically,

Rye looked up at the invitation, blinking a few times before breaking out into a smile, "Yes Sir! I'd more than happy to serve you" she said giving a little salute, causing a smirk to flicker on and off the captains face.

"Good! Now get back to work! If anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know!" he chuckled, taking one last look at the strange girl before turning to walk away. He wasn't sure what it was about her appearance or the impression she made but Motochika felt like there was more to that girl than met the eye. He frowned in thought, perhaps she didnt originate from Japan? After all…none of the men he'd asked about her seemed to know her family name and her skin was oddly pale. Maybe she had no family at all…this thought made Motochika feel a little sad before he shook his head ridding it of thoughts.

It wasn't any of his business, for now she seemed willing enough to serve him and he should probably start to focus on making use of her skills rather than trying to work out her past.

As Motochika left, Rye watched him go. Frozen in place where they'd been stood having their conversation earlier.

Roka looked up at Rye and sighed, "I don't think he's coming back…" he said, causing Rye to look down to him.

"I know…" she said with a blank expression as though deep in thought, Roka felt a little awkward under her vacant stare and shifted nervously. Suddenly Rye blinked and the vacant look was gone,

"Well the Captain has most definitely won me over!" she said kneeling down next to Roka and helping him work on the machine.

Roka hummed amused, "Yeah that's the case with most people, he's just an honest soul I guess"

Rye frowned a little, "Odd thing to say about a pirate"

Roka laughed, "I suppose so…" he said, before looking at the half-finished Rising Sun…

"Guess there'll be no training till the end of the week then…" Roka said smiling, as Rye looked confused,

"We're going to have to work well into the night to finish this" Roka said as if it wasn't already obvious.

Rye frowned and groaned, "You know what? It's a good job he's got the looks of a demi-god because I wouldn't take this crap from anyone else"

Roka rolled his eyes, before setting back to work, idly chatting to his friends who felt like family. Rye settled down soon, moving up onto the scaffolding to secure a part of the weapon as Suzu called for her help.

They all worked on into the night while a pirate galleon left the port. On the horizon a dark shadow of an armada was gathering in the city across the ocean. Guns and cannons gleamed in the dark while their commander turned everything yellow and dissolved his crest from everything they owned, replacing it as an impostor.

The islanders on Shikoku waved their Captain goodbye…completely unaware of horrific attack that was about to grind their city into dust. 

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><p><strong>Hello~ I'm slowly going through all the chapters and touching them up because I hated them so much once I'd re-read them U - U I hope they're a lot friendlier now~~<br>****CHAPTER I REDUX COMPLETE - 18/01/2013**


	3. Chapter 2

Speedy updates...I don't feel like writing anything up here for once though...wrote this while listening to Emily Brownings version of Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) I never knew that this song could be sung so sadly...but it can : Although I still love it.

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><p><em>~ Chapter II ~<em>

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><p>It was horrible.<p>

They came at dawn.

They left at sunset.

They left only the silence unscarred.

The island's red…the sun-kissed sands run crimson with blood while the streets are splintered with the buildings and bodies of the fallen. Women and children were not spared…they lie alongside their fathers who hold forks and scythes. We didn't even have soldiers, mere farmers fought to defend our land. We were doomed from the start…

The smoke which rose above us in an ominous cloud, almost as if the souls that were freed that day made heaven too crowded, they're forced to wait outside. Grey and burnt like the island beneath them.

Tears that were cried that night could've filled the ocean. I wished I could be anywhere else.

I was there when they arrived, their cannons outnumbered our men two to one and I could see the army of archers raising their bows. We had no leader either, as they landed we charged forward like an army of disorganised animals, there is no other way to describe it really. I could tell it was useless…I think we all did, I saw it in the eyes of those who fought, the eyes of whom I worked alongside who had wives, sisters and children. They knew they couldn't save them…but I knew I could.

Before I knew it I felt myself running from the battle and saving who I could before they reached the city. I lead them to the fort and told them to hide there. Children were crying and screaming and mothers were clutching them, trying to reassure them although their own arms were the ones shaking in terror.

No matter how much I shut my eyes and plugging my ears I could still hear it all. The cries of death ringing across the land, clashing of metal and the horrific cannon fire. From time to time the fort would shake, but we were never attacked by infantry and for that I thanked whichever spirit decided to spare us. It carried on all day, I fear for how it affected the children. They have to live with this.

Several times I had to run after a young girl who kept running off to save her father. She didn't understand that he must already be dead. My arms ache from dragging her back into the fort. How she dug her heels into the ground and screaming, scratching and biting at my skin, begging me to let her go as the cannons fired overhead.

When Motochika returned there were few left to greet him. Many that did were weak or injured, on splints with cuts deep to the bone. I was there, my clothes torn and dirty while the young girl clung onto my hand. I felt ashamed to stand there unscathed while others had lost their limbs or been cut so deep their bleeding wouldn't cease.

He looked at us, in his eye I could see only pain. The way he saw his island, the buildings still burning as there wasn't enough of us to put out the fire. The way the rest of his crew filed off the galleon and tore into the city to find their family, only to be met with dead eyes and injured bodies. We buried who we could, but it didn't seem right to bury someone without their loved ones saying goodbye. The silence which followed contained more sadness than any words could've hoped for. He shook his head and tore off towards the fort.

A man approached me and gestures weakly to the little girl.

"I was his brother" he says, his eyes blank as he stares at me, holding out his hand to the child.

I nod and the girl latches onto his hand, hugging him close, pretending he was her father. I look sadly to the floor before turning to watch the pirate Captain walking off into the distance. At first I want to follow him. But as I walk towards him, I stop my feet from moving.

It is none of my business…I must let him grieve in his own way. Yet I can't help my heart from aching for him, the guilt he must feel as their leader. The one who was meant to keep them from harm. I turn my head away from him, thinking about it only makes me feel sick.

A woman taps me on the shoulder, I recognise her from the fort. Days ago, from the attack.

"You can stay with us" she says softly, thinking my family and home must've burned to the ground. I thank her politely and she begins to walk home…I wait a little, staring at the ocean before following behind her.

My hands reach and hold the hilts of my swords all my themselves. I clutch them tightly wishing I was stronger. If I was, I might've made a difference.

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><p>I'm sure everyone knew that was coming...<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

_~ Chapter III ~  
><em>

* * *

><p>It was two whole days before Motochika let any speak with him. Two whole days he spent holed up in that fort with the doors and gates locked tightly shut.<p>

On the third day when a small group of men and I tried the gates, they silently swung open, we entered the fort slowly, as if our slightest movements might scare him off.

Eventually we found him in the private quarters. It was in ruins, the table was overturned, glass bottles of rum and sake were smashed on the floor, making the room reek horribly of alcohol and blood from where the glass had cut the Captains skin.

But when he turned round to face us, it was not the face of a defeated man which we saw. Several others around me gasped slightly in shock while, my eyes widened in disbelief.

Motochika was smiling.

* * *

><p>Motochika had roused his men and his army, amassed their weapons and set sail for the mainland. The pirate galleon, with its white sails blowing proudly in the wind set off towards the main land of the rising sun.<p>

Initially the morale of the men had been incredibly low, but as the journey went on, the routine of sailing and the familiar ocean waves relaxed a lot of the mens minds. And after a few hours had passed it was as if the massacre had never happened…yet the men still knew it had, they just pushed it to the back of their minds, not out of existence, but not allowing it to cloud their consciousness.

Motochika could sense that his crew were masking their true feelings behind their usual tough veil. Deciding that rather than pretend his doubts were quelled that it was time to address their problems head on. So he gathered everyone on deck in the late evening, in order to give a what turned out to be a pretty lengthy speech.

However it worked, after angst, pain and sadness had been shared, it was easier to see that everyone was in the same boat. This brought on the tears, the happiness and laughter…

"My actions have been…inexcusable and although I may never be able to forgive myself-"

"CAPTAIN DON'T SAY SUCH A THING- WE WOULD ALREADY FORGIVE YOU ANYTHING ANIKII-" shouts come from the crowd and Motochika grins

"And the lives which we have lost shall never be forgotten" he pauses and puts a fist to his heart,

"That is now my burden to carry, it shall haunt me to my grave" he says, his voice thick with honest promise, before he looks up now

"But I shall avenge their deaths, I won't stand by and allow the Tokugawa to mercilessly raid and pillage my shores" he says, his voice building out of sadness,

And the crowd on the pirate galleon cheers,

Motochika clenches his fist, he walks towards us the crowd from above them a tiny grin growing on his face,

"For them to strike while I was not here was cowardly indeed, but they made one big mistake" he yells, followed by chants and cheers from the crowd of pirates,

"They've stirred up the anger of the very ocean, her waves and storms are going to be nothing to them once they test their mettle against the Devil of the Sea!" he says, impossibly rousing more cheers,

"Who's with me?" he yells fiercely, and just as fiercely the men roar back, punching their fists in the air.

"AYE CAPTAIN"

They think their Captain is back…but as I look in his eyes from the side of the crowd, he's not the same man as I remember…the anger in his eyes has taken over the warm glow which used to be there. His eyes seemed to sparkle silver when I first saw them. They now look grey, like a storm with thunder clouds and rain. Something in-between rage and contempt, revenge was in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Unable to sleep on her first night at sea, Rye found herself up alone into the early hours, walking back and forth on the ship, trying to accustom her body to the steady rocking of the ship.<p>

Beginning to feel a little queasy, she leant herself against the side of the ship,

"Ughhh…the world is shifting beneath me" she complained to nobody but herself, trying to control her breathing.

Not wanting to look at the waves for fear of making her sea sickness worse, she looked up into the sky, watching the stars seemed to calm her down.

When she finally lowered her gaze she spotted someone leaning against the side of the ship on the higher quarter deck. She squinted and recognised the figure to be Motochika, Rye bit her lip as she saw he was looking out towards Chugoku…a certain memory of before they'd left replayed within the girls mind…

* * *

><p>Rye had been searching the fort for what felt like days when only a matter of fact it had been a few hours. Looked for the paint needed to complete the Rising Sun, she had been wandering round the fort, going through corridors, trap doors and small vents that she had to crawl along. Which is where she was right now, cursing the fact she had lost her map, when suddenly she head voices.<p>

Curiously she looked down through the metal plate beneath her hands, her eyes widened when she saw who was sat down at a desk. The Captain was sat at a table hosting a secret meeting with none other than Motonari Mouri.

Rye covered her mouth with both hands to stop herself from saying anything, yet she leaned closer to the grate, pressing her eye to the small crack and looking in.

"…what are you saying?" Motochika asked, leaning back in his chair.

Motonari looked back emotionless, "You weren't the only one who was attacked, we too suffered the same fate" he said, while Motochika suddenly leaned forward interested.

"Ieyasu attacked you too?" he said loudly in shock before slamming his hands onto the table his arms already tense with rage coursing through his veins. Motonari glanced to the mans tense biceps,

"It was the same cowardly act, he attacked while I was campaigning to the north" Motonari explained, returning his gaze to Motochikas eyes, "When I returned the same ugly symbol hung itself on the horizon his crest-"

"I can't believe he would do this to me…" Motochika said sinking back down into his seat, his hands dragging across the table towards him. Suddenly he looked up in shock as he felt Motonari place his own hand on top of his.

"We have to work together if we want to survive" Motonari spoke, looking to Motochika who was still staring at Motonari's hand in his.

"Are you proposing an alliance?" he asked softly, his thumb gently rubbing the back of Motonari's smaller hand, he felt Motonari tense up at first before relaxing.

"…not an alliance exactly, I am merely suggesting we put our rivalry on pause for the time being, untill this lowlife Ieyasu has been dealt with" Motonari spoke in the same dead tone. Yet Motochika still fell for it.

His voice was lowered to a whisper, "Sometimes I miss your comfort" he said, continuing to stroke Mouri's hand.

Mouri looked to the side, seemingly to avoid the others gaze, "…we can't keep doing this" he said.

"Yet we still fall back into it time and time again-" he cut off as Motonari pulled his hand out of Motochika's grip.

"We can't carry on sneaking round like this. It's not fair to anyone, we can't just think of ourselves" Motonari said standing up suddenly,

Motochika's posture slumped on the desk as he looked up to Motonari sadly,

"You're right…" Motochika agrees reluctantly, letting silence fill the air for a few seconds, "Yet I will agree to this truce"

Motonari nods, "It's the only thing we can do…" he nods wisely, walking over to the corner of the room where there's a long brown cloak on the ground, he quickly ties it round his neck, turning to leave.

Moving towards the doorway, he feels himself pause and look back at the taller pirate who has stood up as if he's just remembered something to tell Motonari. The brunette looked to the platinum haired man,

"Something wrong Motochika?" he asked, looking to the pirate with a raised eyebrow,

"I…it's nothing Mouri…" he says rubbing the back of his head, with an expression that says he is full of deep thought,

Motonari narrowed his eyes at the other, "Brush aside your doubts, the truth is simple" he says, as Motochika folds his arms,

"The Tokugawa must pay the price for what they have done" Mouri's eyes looked the other up and down, locking eyes once more before he quickly turned to leave, being ushered out in secret by his loyal guards.

* * *

><p>Rye had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Motochika must've gone back into the Captains quarters, she frowned a little, replaying the scene over and over.<p>

"Mouri's visit…what does it mean?" she muttered to herself, cursing for not being smart enough to guess the true reason behind his visit. However she wasn't stupid enough to miss the fact that there used to be a relationship between the two lords.

Rye let out a soft chuckle, "Who would've thought?" she said to herself, looking back up into the stars.

She stayed above deck for a while before the cool night air became more of a nuisance than a comfort. Then she returned below deck to her hammock to try and make up for the sleep she had recently lost.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER III REDUX COMPLETE - 1801/2013  
><strong>**I felt it was waaayyyy too angsty before and I didn't like how it was affecting Motochika's character and the crew...because in the game I love them because they're all so happy...it wasn't nice to see them all so depressed...meh  
><strong>**I doubt anyone's even going to notice the changes so yeah haha, I won't bother to name them :')  
><strong>**But did you notice ****where I wrote they're all in the same boat? I had to seriously restrain myself from putting 'literally' after it hahha, I'm sad, let me have my jokes :')**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Hi hi! Well this is the final redux chapter...I've redone all of them with varying amount of changes in each chapter, some of them have been changed quite a lot...but definately for the better xD But yeah, I feel a lot better with this story now that I've changed it all~ :3 Also, this chapter is like twice as long as all other ones before it, I'm sorry I just kept typing and it got so long Q~Q So yes, I hope you enjoy! There will be more notes at the end cause I ramble a lot, but I wanted to make a brief announcement before you started reading~  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em>~ Chapter IV ~<em>

Men piled off the galleon, arms and cannon and building tools followed. Horses were lead onto the ground along with their baggage trains, as men jumped on the ground as if testing themselves on the new terrain.

Motochika walked across the gangplank with his anchor on his shoulders, his demonic grin ever present. Men followed slapping each other on the shoulders and cracked jokes.

Rye warily followed them off the ships, being careful not to fall, looking at the smiling faces and shining weapons. Some men on the land were laughing at her as she wobbled on the gangplank,

"Looks like someones still suffering from a little bit of alcohol in their system" they yelled back, causing Rye to huff and fold her arms, only for someone behind her to push her into the sea.

She squealed as she fell and crashed into the water, but the only thing to be heard as she emerged were loud curses as she swam angrily to the shore, vowing to get revenge.

Motochika watched on, and chuckled a little. His strategist rolled his eyes,

"Sir…if you'd please listen" he said patiently, used to Motochikas short attention span,

"Ah, yes. Go on! You were telling me something important I'm sorry…" he said, as his strategist resisted the urge to roll his eyes,

"It seems we have several choices ahead of us…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>~ Seige of Karasu Castle ~<strong>_

The roar of the pirates seemed to grow louder and louder as did the thunder of feet rushing across the ground.

Hideaki shook in his leather boots, his lip trembling,

"Eeeee" he squeaked jumping backwards to stand beside Tenkai,  
>"They're getting closer and closer!" he cried in a high pitched squeak, tugging on Tenkai's trousers in a similar way a child would to their mother.<p>

Tenkai glared and moved out of his grip, Hideaki looked up at him horrified,

"Help me Tenkai, you promised you'd protect me!" he squeaked again, looking up into the eyes of the evil monk.

Behind his mask Tenkai was grinning cruelly, like rules, promises were just made to be broken, he had not got the time or patience to run round after the chubby little man, protecting him from things that go bump in the night or the rats which surround the castle walls.

Tenkai turning to face Hideaki, his eyes burning down at him furiously.

"Eeee" Hideaki squeaked before looking to the castle road, seeing a pink blur charging towards him his eyes went wide.

"Nooo noo noo" he cried shuffling backwards before suddenly turning tail and running.

Tenkai watched on behind him, Hideaki was pathetic. Not only physically but also mentally he was more fearful of a child and it's shadow.

"Please Hideaki there's no need to be melodramatic" Tenkai drawled in a bored tone before turning round to see a pirate captain blazing a path towards him. The monks evil eyes focussed on the platinum haired man, he looked forward to facing him.

Several hours into the fight, it was clear that the siege was going to be successful. Although the enemy troops kept retreating behind new gates and strongholds, the pirates kept crashing through.

Eventually they reach the inner castle walls with a giant ridiculous wok in the centre, making Rye seriously question whether she was in a dream or not. After fighting for what seemed like hours, Rye found herself face to face with a man who looked suspiciously like he was cosplaying a beetle and would not stop spinning round on the floor.

He tripped her up, running over her toes in the process with his spinning wok.

Rye hit the ground and cursed,

"You're absolutely irritating!" she snapped, running up to Hideaki and jumping on the edge of his wok, causing him to get thrown out and across the floor.

"Ahhhh-d-d—don't hurt me" he trembled,

Rye was about to advance on the shorter commander, when a group of the pirate army moved in front of her,

"Don't worry, we've got this! Go and help the retreat from the stone gorge!" a man said over his shoulder,

"W-wha-?" But before the pirates could even hear Ryes question they launched themselves towards the enemy commander.

'Gorge?' Rye thought to herself, a memory flashing in her minds eye of when they had entered the battlefield, she remembered Motochika leading the left flank of the army down a narrow passageway.

Looking down on the battlefield it was clear that the pirates were winning. She glanced over towards some dark clouds, which hung in the air in place, seemingly a backdrop for someone's performance. Still Rye recognised she had been charged with a duty and so she ran across the giant wok, going round the rim before jumping down into the crowd of fighting troops. After cutting her way through the crowd Rye managed to get out of the castle gates, running past bodies and retreating men back towards the cross roads she'd first seen at the start, this time taking a left turn and continuing down a pathway with a very eerie atmosphere.

Along the path she encountered men retreating, limping or helping people walk by offering them their shoulder.

She ran through a gate, absently thinking what they could possibly be guarding here when the castle was all the way over there.

With wide eyes she suddenly stopped dead still and looked around. A green smog hung in the air over the bodies of pirates and their commanders, blood seeping from their sides and their eyes rolled open, the whites turned purple by some form of poison. Rye wrinkled her nose and shivered, this clearly wasn't the work of Hideaki.

She squinted through the green haze and saw a flight of stairs leading up and out of the deadly pit. Without a second thought, fearing for her health she made a run for it, holding her breath. The green was humid and warm, it made her skin prickle and her eyes burn as she ran through it. She urged her legs to move faster and faster till the air was clear once more and she could breathe.

Panting for air Rye glanced round at the clearing she'd arrived in, it was beyond bleak. A slab of stone with a tree, a deadly cliff which seemed to look like the edge of the world.

And as she looked up she saw the grey sky overhead, this was where the storm clouds were coming from.

The clanging of metal echoed in her ears and she looked across to see two figures fighting. The man with the scythes who she presumed was Tenkai seemed to have Motochika at a disadvantage.

The pirate was stumbling with amateur footwork, making stupid mistakes with his weapon as he violently swung the anchor towards the monk, who easily parried the attack.

"Come on now, your so weak it's hard to believe you're made of muscle" Tenkai said, his eyes glinting slightly, which was eerie given the absence of light.

Motochika roared and dashed forward again, aiming for Tenkai with the ball of his foot, but Tenkai simply dodged out of the way as if he had already seen the move before.

The monk slowly stood up into a fairly open stance,

"Hit me, go on, take my life just like Ieyasu took the lives of your men", he said, before dodging Motochikas wild swing of the chain and anchor,

"DO NOT TAUNT ME" Motochika growled through gritted teeth, before swinging his anchor fast in a horizontal motion to which Tenkai ducked under. The anchor swung round behind Motochika, where he planted it in the ground and used it to push himself off the ground and land a solid kick on the underside of Tenkai's mask.

The monk, caught off guard cursed and staggered backwards, shaking his head to try and shake off the last impact, as a shadow suddenly fell on him. He looked up just in time to move out of the way as the anchor crashed into the earth where Tenkai was stood, shaking some loose rocks on the ground.

Motochika however, couldn't remove the anchor from the ground fast enough to properly block Tenkais counter attack, the scythes instead hit the pirates gauntlets, and Motochika jumped back before his attacker could land another hit.

"Now I'm just bored, I thought you could fight?" Tenkai said, straightening his back up from where he'd just made his previous attack. As his face was revealed from behind his snow white hair, an angelic colour compared to the man who sinisterly plotted behind the monks eyes.

"Or maybe the real reason you weren't there is because you were too weak to defend them!" he said, his eyes shining his mischief as Motochika's grip on his weapon intensified,

"NO!" he shouted, the rage burning in Motochika's lone eye also caused the muscles in his body to become tense as he ran again at Tenkai. Kicking and the swinging the anchor vertically in a downwards motion, which Tenkai moved the side and dodged, quickly stepping towards Motochika and slashing the back of the mans neck with a scythe before rolling to one side to avoid the anchor as it was swung back round with so much force that Motochika couldn't stop it in time to block the monks attack.

Rye watched as the scythes slashed across the pirates chest, cutting deep enough for the captain to let out a pained gasp, as he staggered back. Rye felt her fingers twitch, she needed to do something, Tenkai was clearly sending Motochika into a fit of blind rage on purpose in order to weaken his defences. The plan was pretty suicidal as Rye saw it because just one hit from that massive anchor could be fatal for the fragile-looking monk. She felt butterflies in her chest as she wondered whether or not she would insult the captain by coming to his aid.

"You can't even defeat _me_!" Tenkai said breaking Rye's train of thought, "You're nothing but a coward! You ran away on purpose! You left them all to die!" the monk continually taunted, now moving in a slow predatory circle around the pirate.

The look of Motochika's face was one of pure hatred, intensified by his rage.

"HOW…DARE YOU!" he yelled before running one final time at Tenkai, lunging with his anchor the monk moved to evade the attack, however Motochika simply closed the gap between the two of them and grabbed the back of the monks head. Roughly pulling the mans head down and tripping his feet as he fell, the monk landed on his back, before he had time to relax the pirate stamped his foot down onto the others ribs with all his strength, applying pressure angrily when the monk refused to writhe in pain.

"I'll show you what you've done" Motochika said looking down into the harsh glare of the white haired man beneath him, who was clearly in pain but refusing to show any signs of weakness.

Blood leaked from the pirates wounds as he spoke, "This is what you deserve…" he said raising the anchor over the other mans shoulder, the monk simply shut his eyes,

"NO!" Rye's voice shocked the two men as suddenly she threw herself against Motochika, knocking him off along with the anchor which was roughly pulled from the other mans body.  
>"What you're doing doesn't suit you Captain!" Rye said as she pulled herself up off the ground, she took up a defensive stance ready to fight off an expected attack from Motochika who still looked as if he wanted to rip Tenkai limb from limb.<p>

"Stay out of this, it's not your place" Motochika yelled at Rye, moving into an offensive stance, showing he would attack Rye if she didn't move.

Tenkai in the mean time had since stood up and glared at the pirate from behind the young woman, clutching his injured shoulder with one hand. He slowly turned and began to walk away towards the cliff.

Motochika twitched, "Move out of the way!" he said, his eye not focussed on Rye but on the man currently moving away from them. Rye frowned at the captain as she could see him staring at the monk as if he were prey.

"MOTOCHIKA!" Rye yelled, finally grabbing his attention, the captain looked shocked for a second to hear his first name being shouted all of a sudden before narrowing his eye at Rye.

"Cruelty does not suit you, Captain" she said, as Motochika's gaze flickered back to the monk now at the edge of the cliff, he moved forward instinctively to catch the monk before he left.

However a hand pressed against his chest as he attempted to move forward, and Motochika looked down, surprised to see how quickly Rye had got that close. He then looked up to see Tenkai had vanished,

"…so please…let him go"

* * *

><p>That evening after everyone had settled down, after the happy festivities of pillaging Hideaki's territory for all the alcohol the pirates could lay hands on, Rye found herself in the captains tent, sat opposite the captain who was laid down in his bed, bandages covering his torso where Tenkai had cut him.<p>

None of the other men knew about Motochika's state when he was fighting Tenkai, he hid it so well and Rye felt if he didn't want them to know then she wouldn't spill any secrets either, it was only fair. Rye wasn't sure why she was there waiting for him to wake up, it was partially genuine concern but mostly because everyone outside had already gone to sleep and she was very bored. She couldn't see very well since the sun had long since set and there were only a few small candles dotted around the tent. But she could make out the face of Motochika as he slept, his chest gently rising and falling with each breath. He looked so at peace, in the dim glow of the warm orange candlelight, while he slept and Rye found herself squinting at his closed eye.

"It's so strange…" she mumbled to herself, "When your eye is open I can see your sadness…" she said to Motochika, leaning forward and resting her head in her hand.

"But when you sleep, it's as if nothing in the world can trouble you".

Rye stared at Motochika for a few more seconds in deep thought, before suddenly she smiled, hiding a giggle behind her hand she glanced round to check there was truly nobody there.

"What're you dreaming about?" she asked the sleeping man,

"Huh?" she asked, looking at him in shock, "What was that?" she asked as she leant in closer, putting her ear towards him as if he were about to whisper something back.

"You like that guy, Motonari!" she whispered back in shock, leaning back before looking round to check that nobody else heard, grinning.

"Oh wow, that must've been a lot of weight off your chest, I bet you've never told anyone!" she stated, leaning back and smiling smugly at Motochika, who peacefully slept on, completely unaware of the young woman having a conversation with his sleeping form.

"Don't worry, I won't tell! Your secret is safe with me!" she said, shutting her eyes, smug grin still in place.

"Hnngh…"

Rye jumped a little in her seat, as Motochika began to stir. Motochika moved a little under his covers, a pained look on his face as he tried to roll over. Rye watched him for a few seconds with a curious look on her face before she remembered something the medics had told her. She quickly dashed across and pushed him back down again, the mans eyes snapping open as he became aware of another's presence.

"The medics said you should rest!" she said, as Motochika stared back up at her with wide eyes, rapidly trying to identify the person who had pulled him out of a sense of security in his dreams.

Finally it clicked that the woman in front of her was the young woman he'd met a few days ago and Motochika allowed himself to relax and let Rye put him back in the position he was asleep in. The pirate groaned as he attempted to stretch,

"How long have I been out?" he asked, looking straight ahead, purposefully not at Rye.

"Uhh…about five hours?" she answered, looking at Motochika for a reaction,

"Not bad for someone who just lost that much blood…" she commented looking away, to the moon outside.

Motochika allowed a small smile to creep onto his face, as he looked across at the young woman who had stopped him from killing the demonic monk. He let out a small chuckle, before he rapidly sat up pulling back the thin blanket on his bed and leant over the edge of the bed.

Rye slowly turned then, realising he was now sat up she panicked, jumping to her feet, a finger pointing accusingly at the captain.

"Sit back down! You're supposed to rest!" she exclaimed, frowning, raising her other arm to make a gun shape with both her hands. Motochika ignored her flipping his hand at Rye and continued to get up and walk across the tent towards a chest, wincing as he did so. Panicking again she dashed across and tried to support him, but he pushed her away,

"I don't need to be babied like a child!" he growled and Rye flinched away from him, giving Rye one last look, warning her not to help him. Motochika opened the chest and began to root through it, taking out one haori and a bottle which looked to contain some form of alcohol.

He turned round, looking rather pleased with his findings, slowly pulling on the extra clothing, taking care not to pull his wounds. Then he smiled at the bottle of sake he had brought with him, then he looked past the bottle to Rye, who was still looking at him, a concerned look on her face.

He sighed, "Come on, let's go outside. It's too damn stuffy in here" he complained as he walked out of the tent into the chilly night air.

Rye turned to follow him, "You can't blame me for being concerned for your health!" she said, her eyes trained on the back of the platinum haired mans head as the two figures headed towards a lone tree on the top of a small mound of earth. Around them were the many tents in the Chosokabe army camp, as all the men were now sleeping peacefully under the clear skies with hundreds of stars looking down on them.

Motochika slowly sat down, moving almost robotically so not to re-open his wounds and leant against the tree they had found.

"I can't, you're right, but you should know I've been through much worse and still lived", he opened the bottle and took a large mouthful as Rye sat down opposite him, her knees folded under her.

Rye fiddled with the top of her socks, picking the fabric where it had become dirty,

"But I bet you have never fought like that before…" she added, looking up at him beneath her eyelashes, being careful not to anger the captain. Motochika froze and lowered the bottle from his mouth, looking at the other. Rye took this as a sign to continue,

"You were fighting with all your strength, you were putting so much effort into trying to kill the target in front of you, yet you employed no defensive strategies. You were trying so hard to win, but it's like you didn't care how badly you might lose", Rye explained, looking to the captain, whose eye had become vacant as he acknowledged what Rye was saying.

"It was almost suicidal and I can't judge you for how long I've known you but…if it's not too bold of me to say, you still have a lot to live for…" she finished, picking at her socks as silence began to surround them.

As the silence dragged on she raised her head to see Motochika holding out the bottle to her, hesitating for a moment, she accepted it and took a large mouthful of her own.

Across from her, the pirate sighed and looked out across the camp,

"I'm not normally the one to fall for such an obvious gambit as used by Tenkai. But I was pulled into a blind rage," he admitted, being handed the bottle back from Rye,

"I consciously allowed it and I know I was being selfish but…" he fiddled with the bottle in his hands, looking down the tattered label on the sake.

"…have you…ever felt as if you've lost…everything?" he asked, "I know it's a big question for someone as young as yourself but this situation demands a little empathy an-"

"Yes"

Motochika stopped talking and looked up in shock at the sudden answer,

"Yes I have…" the girl repeated, her eyes empty, "I know exactly how you feel" she said, shaking her head a little before smiling at Motochika.

"I haven't always been alone, the things I used to have and used to love, were taken away from me…one second I was the happiest person alive and the next day, I felt as if I were dead. I felt worse than being dead, because I knew I had to live through it and know those things would continue to haunt me, until I did die." Rye continued, as Motochika leaned forward slightly, ignoring the pain of his wound,

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be! What's in the past is done!" she said dismissively, quickly following this statement up with another rapid utterance, "I never wanted an in depth discussion of our past, as we are but strangers!"

Rye regarded Motochika, who smiled a little and nodded with understanding, the Chosokabe clans rule number one: Do not pry, lest your own past come back to kick your ass.

"But you know the memories only serve to make us stronger, our past shapes our future. And if you want to let your past hinder you then it will, but real strength comes from using your past to shape your future, you must know what I'm saying?" Rye asked with a smile, as Motochika shrugged and replied,

"Of course I do, it's common man's logic. But what do we do when we keep losing?"

"Keep fighting of course" Rye said brightly. Motochika slowly considered what she had said.

"And when we can't fight for it?"

Rye paused and held a finger to her chin in thought, "Welll…" she began, "You could pray…"

The bottle was quickly snatched from Motochika's hands as Rye downed a large amount, handing the remainder back to the pirate.

"Or drink your body weight in alcohol!" Rye grinned, licking her lips and looking to Motochika, who felt awkward under her gaze until he realised he was just waiting for him to finish what was left of the sake. There was quite a lot left and Motochika wasn't sure that him stomach would allow him to drink it's entirety, but he had drank quite a lot in his time as a sailor and he wasn't about to be out-done by a mere ninja. Without further hesitation he gulped it all down, when he lowered the bottle from his mouth, he heard Rye clapping in front of him. Motochika chuckled slightly before a loud rumbling sound was heard from his stomach and the pirate put a hand to it and winced. Rye smiled with her eyes bright under the lunar gaze,

"And how do you feel now?" she enquired, leaning forward on her hands and knees, trying to get as close as she could to witness a reaction from the pirate who currently had his head down and was still holding his stomach.

"My stomach just hurts!" the pirate exclaimed, his head still down, Rye blinked a few times before another loud grumbling noise was heard from the mans stomach. Rye just laughed, leaning back so she was kneeling again.

Motochika frowned, holding his stomach and wincing at the pain of his wound, when he looked up he saw Rye was bouncing off down the small hill towards his tent.

"HEY!" he yelled, "Th-that's my bed!" he shouted, quickly getting ready to stand up,

Rye whirled round with a finger to her lips, "Ssshhh you fool, you'll wake the camp!" she giggled, before turning round again and continuing her journey.

"And I'm not going to sleep just yet! I'm going to get some more delicious al-cohollll~!"

* * *

><p>After spending most of the night drinking, the two had fallen asleep, Rye sleeping atop the hill underneath the captains haori and Motochika having retreated back to his own tent. However it was an early rising for the both of them.<p>

"…come on Rye…"

"Wake up…"

"We know you can hear us lil sis"

"The captain wants to see you"

"She's just pretending to be asleep, look at her"

"No-no she's still sleeping, leave her be"

"RYE!"

"Ngghhhh" the young woman in question groaned as someone kicked her side and she woke up, her eyes slowly opening before she instantly shut them again, rolling over. Squealing like a baby,

"IT'S TOO BRIGHT! LET ME SLEEP!" she yelled, stretching before, snuggling back up underneath the spare clothing she had been given. A happy smile on her face as she nuzzled the soft grass beneath the tree.

"All right guys, it looks like we have no choice", Rye heard the same voices speaking again and she smiled, finally they were going to leave her alone.

"Yep, get the buckets of water guys! We're going to have to wake her up the most effective way we know how! The waterfall techinique!"

Rye's eyes snapped open and she instantly shot up, yelling there was no need and that she would go to visit Motochika immediately.

She entered Motochika's tent several minutes later, pushing the fabric aside and walking into the same place she'd watched Motochika sleep the other night. Motochika looked up from the desk he was at to see her and smiled,

"I see you're faring quite well after last night".

It was of course, sarcasm, Rye was covered almost head to toe with mud, her hair was also a mess, one of the buns falling out and the other littered with twigs and small sticks sticking out of it. And the laces from one of her long boots had come almost completely undone.

"Yeah, why am I so muddy?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and unknowingly smearing kohl eyeliner across her face. Motochika watched her do it, but didn't bother to say anything, instead smirking,

"How are you by the way? Wounds any better?" she asked to which Motochika nodded,

"I'm a quick healer" he replied, "I'll still need to rest for a few more days, but I'm a lot better than I was last night…"

He suddenly looked away feeling awkward,

"Thank you by the way, for talking with me last night, it was…nice to finally get some things off chest, I know I was in a bit of the state of the Karasu siege and I just wanted to tell you it was nice to speak directly with someone about it for once…rather than keep it bottled up inside" he confirmed, shooting a quick grin to Rye, before he could ask her not to tell anyone about any secrets he may have revealed last night Rye quickly confirmed she did not remember anything beyond the fifth bottle…

"I'll leave remembering last night down to you" he laughed, grabbing a bit of paper from the desk and walking over to Rye.

"I need you to clean yourself up and deliver this letter to a friend of mine" he said, his voice switching into a more authoritative tone, handing the letter to Rye,

"Time for you to make use of your infamous skills!" he said grinning,

Rye looked down to the letter in her hands,

"Magoichi Saica!" she said, "Sai-iiiiii-ca" she sang,

"You know Sayaka too?" Motochika said shocked, mistaking her sing-song for his friends nickname.

"Huh?" Rye said, stupidly looking up at the pirate again, "No, I have no idea who this 'Sayaka' woman is" she said, making quotation marks in the air,

"But don't worry!" she said saluting, "Your message shall be delivered safely, Captain! I've been curious about the Saica clan for a while know! I've heard their leader is quite fierce!" she said, looking at the letter in her hands, "I can't wait to meet him!" she said, turning to walk out of the tent.

Motochika opened his mouth to tell her that her assumption was incorrect, but instead he chose to hold his tongue and smirked to himself, chuckling as Rye tripped over her loose laces, he thought it would better for Rye to experience the shock in person.

After she had picked herself off the floor cursing, Motochika had walked back over to his desk, his lips still gently upturned into the smallest of smiles. That girl sure was something, he thought as he reached for another piece of parchment and a brush to write another important letter. He was sure he couldn't yet call her a friend, but he felt he could trust her, not by her loyalty but by some kind of good-will she possessed, similar to his own.

Even when he was talking about dark issues which had plagued his life the night before with the younger female, he hadn't felt upset or depressed as he usually did when these types of conversations happened.

'Maybe she's just a good sounding board' he thought to himself as a full grin swept across his face,

'Or perhaps a new drinking partner'.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N: Yaaayy~~ Well how is it now? ^-^ I personally think its a lot better, its probably not perfect because I got off on such a shaky start, but ahhh well at least this fic is slowly pulling me out of HIATUS! YEAH~ I was just so bent on improving and finishing this fic eheh...I know there's still not much MotoMoto but you have to give it time I swear ; - ; New Chapter should be up fairly soon, not that anyone cares, Rye meets Magoichi...let the battle of sass commence. Also whilst on topic of Rye, my beta-sister haha, told me that Ryes personality changes quite a lot throughout the chapters. It's purposefully doing that! It's part of a personality complex that she has...I should probably write a fic on Rye's life story but tbh I really don't think anyone would read it haha...maybe I'll post a brief outline of it on my profile? Yeah, that makes more sense...I might do that then! So...tune in, next time and waste your life here with me~~~<br>**


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